Protective and decorative coatings for flexible or extensible substrates require low temperature flexibility due to the need for the coating film to withstand stresses at low temperatures while in the same application requiring the coating film to exhibit low surface tack at elevated temperatures. Such coatings are known as elastomeric coatings. While aqueous dispersions of water-insoluble polymers of lower than ambient glass transition temperature (Tg) are advantageously used for many ambient temperature applications with little or no need for polluting volatile organic coalescing aids, the dried films of such low Tg polymer coatings are too tacky for many coatings applications. On the other hand, higher than ambient temperature Tg polymers disadvantageously required higher levels of polluting volatile organic coalescing aids to effect film formation while providing dried coatings films with insufficient low temperature flexibility. The method of this invention provides for the use of single coat ambient-temperature-drying elastomeric coatings with the desired balance of low temperature flexibility and lack of tack at higher than ambient temperatures.